As of Thursday night, the fire was 10% contained, Cal Fire said. Two structures sustained minor damage and more than 800 personnel responded to the incident. Another update is expected after 9 a.m. Friday.

The fire broke out about 4 p.m. Wednesday in La Cresta, a community perched above Murrieta that contains sprawling, multimillion-dollar estates sitting on at least 6 acres each. Cal Fire said it originated near Tenaja Road and Clinton Keith Road, swelling from 50 acres at 6 p.m. to 994 by 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Cal Fire reported about 7 p.m. Thursday that the blaze had reached 2,000 acres and was 10% contained. Also, one firefighter had suffered non-life threatening injuries and nearly 900 personnel were battling the incident.

The sidewalks, street and homes on Botanica Place in Murrieta, Calif., are covered in fire retardant on Friday, Sept. 6, 2019, after the Tenaja Fire burned the hillside just across the street on Thursday afternoon. Evacuations were lifted Friday morning though the fire still burns and firefighters and water-dropping helicopters continue to fight the fire. (Mark Rightmire/The Orange County Register via AP) Mark Rightmire, AP

A sign thanking firefighters and police for their efforts in the Tenaja Fire at the corner of Calle Del Oso Oro and Via Moreno in Murrieta, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. Evacuations were lifted Friday though the fire still burns and firefighters and water-dropping helicopters continue to fight the fire. (Mark Rightmire/The Orange County Register via AP) Mark Rightmire, AP

Dan Hoekstra wipes away tears caused by smoke as he stands outside his home on Silverwood Street. Flames came within yards of homes on the residential street during the Tenaja Fire on Sep. 5, 2019, in Murrieta. Colin Atagi/The Desert Sun

Two girls in Murrieta marveled at the flames from the Tejana Fire as they crossed Nutmeg Street. Ordinarily they would be in school, but it closed due to the fire. (Sept 5, 2019) Colin Atagi/The Desert Sun

Stephanie Liesenfelt lives at the foot of the Copper Canyon hill where flames burned Thursday afternoon, Sept. 5, 2019. Her belongings were already packed up but she took one last precaution and hoses down her home. Colin Atagi/The Desert Sun

Part of a five-man crew from Idyllwild rests for coffee at 7:30 am after spending all night building fuel breaks and cutting lines as part of the support strike team 6050A. Four more engines, from Hemet, Corona, Calimesa and Morongo, and others were part of the team. They built a fuel break behind Copper Canyon together with Cal Fire crews partially staffed by prisoners. Eric Hauser from Cathedral City’s fire department was leading the group. He said they would likely be reassigned to another more urgent part of the fire. Gabrielle Paluch/The Desert Sun

Thursday afternoon, the fire appeared to expand to near Copper Canyon, where daily winds were expected to whip up.

Also, Thursday evening, officials said the road closure at Los Gatos Road and Via Volcano had been reopened. But, the road closure at Clinton Keith remained in effect from Chantory Street to Avenida La Cresta.

By Thursday afternoon, flames had reached the foot of Copper Canyon Hill where Stephanie Liesenfelt lives. She said her belongings were already packed, but she wasn't ready to leave. Instead, Liesenfelt took one last precaution and hosed down her home.

“This may help, or it may not if embers come flying,” she said.

Having lived in the home for nearly five years and in Southern California for 21 years, she said wildfires are typical for the region.

She was prepared to hold out for as long as possible but was ready to leave the moment firefighters asked.

“My stuff is not worth more than anyone’s life,” Liesenfelt said.

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Stephanie Liesenfelt hoses down her home near the foot of the Copper Canyon hill, where flames burned Thursday afternoon.(Photo: Colin Atagi/The Desert Sun)

Firefighters attacked flames that spread onto a hillside and came within yards of homes on Silverwood Street.

Dan Hoekstra said he watched as the flames grew near and “my wife started crying. She started crying and screaming for us to get out.”

They fled, but decided against leaving their neighborhood because they knew they wouldn’t be allowed back in. Instead, they sat in their car for about 20 “agonizing” minutes while their street was engulfed in smoke.

He eventually joined onlookers watching firefighters attack the flames by ground and air. Walking with his dog, Lottie, he returned to their home and found it intact as his eyes teared up from smoke.

Riverside health officials issued a health warning and urged residents in portions of southwest Riverside County to limit outdoor activities because of smoke and ash generated by the fire. Temecula and Lake Elsinore are among communities in the warning areas.

“Ash and smoke can be hard on anyone to breathe, but especially those with lung disease,” said Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County public health officer. “Everyone worries about the flames, but smoke can impact you even if you’re miles away from the fire.”

A battalion chief at the scene said the flames appeared to be headed toward an old burn scar, which could starve the flames of fuel overnight. A thunderstorm cell moved through the area just prior to the fire, and it was suspected that a lightning strike ignited it.

So far, no damage has been reported to Southern California Edison power poles and lines, according to Troy Whitman, who works in the agency's fire management department.

One strike team led by Batallion Chief Eric Hauser — using engines and crew from Idyllwild, Morongo, Hemet, Corona and Calamesa — created fuel breaks with hand crews and cut power lines to save houses in copper canyon.

Hauser, from the Cathedral City Fire Department, said his team would likely be reassigned to another, more urgent part of the fire.

Miguel Miller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said weather in the area will be hot and humid on Thursday. He described those conditions as "pretty favorable" for firefighting efforts.

Weather forecast, school closures

Thunderstorms are expected Thursday about 20 miles east of the fire, Miller said. It doesn't appear as if there's a chance the storms will travel to the burn area.

"Thunderstorms often bring very strong gusty winds — erratic winds," he said. "That's bad news for any firefighters near the fire. It also makes it hard to stay safe, let alone strategically fight the fire."

He described it as a “heavy, solid breeze” most people enjoy and said it’s a major reason they live in Copper Canyon.

But on days like Thursday, it’s a detriment.

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The chairs from where two Cal Fire Station 19 firefighters watched the fire all night from the backyard of a house in Copper Canyon on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2019.(Photo: Gabrielle Paluch/The Desert Sun)

Two firefighters from Cal Fire Riverside Station 19 camped out on garden chairs in the backyard, sitting in the dark manning a hose, watching the flames until dawn.

Much of the surrounding area of Murrieta has been impacted by the fire.

All Murrieta Valley Unified schools will be closed Thursday, Murrieta police said. Health officials are recommending residents in the area limit outdoor activities because of smoke and ash.

As the fire continued to burn, fire crews and police watched over areas that had been evacuated.

Ken Kirk spent the night in the Copper Canyon neighborhood keeping an eye on about a dozen homes. As a private firefighter with Firebreak Protection Systems, Kirk was hired by an insurance company to protect homes from the fire.

Nearby, 20-year-old Steve Schilling was trying to check on his friend who lived in Bear Creek, one of the evacuated neighborhoods. He was unable to get past the sheriff's checkpoint and reach his friend.

On most evenings, Blake Smedley and his fiancée Valerie Hartford ride their bedazzled bikes with portable loudspeakers in a canyon overlooking Murrieta. But on Wednesday night, the couple encountered something they've rarely seen: fire.

"We had a small brush fire about four years ago, but nothing this close," Smedley, a 13-year Murrieta resident, said.

At the La Cresta development, a 1,500-home community off Clinton Keith where each property has at least 6 acres, residents weren’t evacuated. But anyone off property during the fire wasn’t allowed back home.

Among them were Ed and Jean Miller, who spent the night with a relative. As they sat in their Dodge pickup at the bottom of Clinton Keith, they said they were concerned about Ed’s medication and their 4-pound Maltese, Lulu, who hadn’t eaten since 7 p.m. Tuesday.

But as concerned as they were, the couple did their best to remain calm.

“It is what it is,” Jean Miller said. “Being agonized or upset isn’t going to help the situation.”

The area surrounding La Cresta had mostly burned out and residents appeared to be in good spirits as they left the property.

Kerry Hibbs said the area had been “smokey as hell” Wednesday night, but he lamented he and several other neighbors couldn’t return home even though it appeared the worst was over.

“This to me is all overkill,” he said of the road closure on Clinton Keith.

Cal Fire is receiving assistance from local agencies in their fight. More than 250 firefighters have responded to the incident, in addition to six air tankers and three helicopters.

The Cleveland National Forest is assisting with firefighting efforts by sending two chief officers and seven engines. So far, the fire is not threatening the forest, the agency tweeted.

The San Bernardino National Forest sent a strike team to the blaze.

Road closures and shelters

Clinton Keith Road is closed south of Avenida La Cresta, and Tenaja Road is shut down between Via Volcano and Clinton Keith Road for public safety and to give crews freedom to maneuver.

A care and reception center has been set up for families and small animals at Murrieta Mesa High School, 24801 Monroe Avenue. Large animals can be taken to the San Jacinto Animal Shelter at 581 S. Grand Ave. in San Jacinto.

Animal Friends of the Valley, which is located at 33751 Mission Trail in Wildomar, will accept small animals.

Desert Sun reporter Gabrielle Paluch wildfires and the environment. She can be reached at gabrielle.paluch@desertsun.com.

Shane Newell covers breaking news and the western Coachella Valley cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs. He can be reached at Shane.Newell@DesertSun.com, (760) 778-4649 or on Twitter at @journoshane

Desert Sun reporter Colin Atagi covers crime, public safety and road and highway safety. He can be reached at Colin.Atagi@desertsun.com or follow him at @tdscolinatagi.